Figured this should be its own thread, since the other one is just for general hype and discussion of the new pics/info.

Given Ubisoft's propensity for transmedia, tie-ins, spin-offs, companion apps, and all things seamless, I can't see them passing up a chance like this. The film started shooting this week, which should put it in a holiday-2016ish release window. I'm not saying it will be an adaptation of the movie per se (that would be terrible) but every time they launch two major games in one year they like to have some kind of connection between them (AC3 and Liberation, for example, but that was mostly just for reusing assets, methinks... a better example is Unity and Rogue, where they couldn't help but make some connection between Shay and Arno, which was a pretty big logical leap). Suffice it to say, I'll be very surprised if 2016's game has nothing to do with Spain or the 15th century. Which I'd be pretty okay with, actually, since I've always wanted a proper version of Discovery.

Ichrukia56

08-28-2015, 01:20 AM

I do think there will be some kind of tie in maybe a nod to the film but that depends on the setting that they go will and also what year/century that game is set in :)

SixKeys

08-28-2015, 01:58 AM

Doubt it. I think Ubi wants to keep the movies and games separate, if only because each comes with their own set of challenges. The movie was in development hell for a long time, that kind of thing happens a lot in Hollywood. Directors get replaced, scripts get overhauled, actors drop out and back in again, filming delays happen, release dates are pushed back etc. To hedge your game franchise's next big entry on a tie-in to a movie whose future was on shaky ground to begin with and which might not be well-received at all would be suicide. AC is Ubisoft's flagship title. If they tie the games too closely to the movie and the movie becomes a failure, they risk tarnishing the whole brand. OTOH, if the games and movies are kept separate enough and the movie (which has wider reach) fails, the game devs can say "well, those guys were just doing their own thing, we didn't have anything to do with it".

HDinHB

08-28-2015, 02:01 AM

I wouldn't mind it,anything to go backwards in time, but I don't expect it. There will definitely be the novel, a whole lot of ubiworkshop items, a companion app, a poorly implemented website that gets downgraded over time and , and some exclusive DLC if you buy your tickets early. Maybe a post-credit scene. If they are really clever, they will print a code on your movie ticket that lets you unlock Altaïr's outfit in the game.

Even if it's not an adaptation, which I agree would be a horrible idea, it would be tricky and risky to do much of a tie-in, especially with the first film. If they stick to the current release schedule, the game will come out 1-2 months before the movie (Dec 21, 2016); too much tie-in and the game could spoil the movie (through spoilers or even through bad press like Unity got). "I heard the game sucked, I'm not going to see the movie." (Although that could happen even if there's no relationship between the game and movie at all.) The 2017 game will be too late for any beneficial tie-in.

What I think would be smarter and safer, instead of tying the historic part of the game and movie together, would be to tie the modern day together, especially if there is any decent modern day in Syndicate to lay a foundation for modern day in the 2016 game. Not that any of the main characters from the movie would or should appear in game, but the side characters could, or the modern Templars, with the Fassbender character and other leads mentioned in conversation or referenced as "future projects."

Another reason, and maybe closer to reality, is I think they've given the movie makers a lot of independence in developing characters, story, location, the whole schmear. Unless the game devs have been shadowing the movie devs, any tie-in could appear weak or strained. (Not that that would stop them.)

In any event, if the 2016 movie makes good, you can bet the 2017 game and the 2017 movie will be joined at the hip. You don't think there will be annualized movie releases? "It's been in development for nearly three years."

LoyalACFan

08-28-2015, 02:30 AM

Doubt it. I think Ubi wants to keep the movies and games separate, if only because each comes with their own set of challenges. The movie was in development hell for a long time, that kind of thing happens a lot in Hollywood. Directors get replaced, scripts get overhauled, actors drop out and back in again, filming delays happen, release dates are pushed back etc. To hedge your game franchise's next big entry on a tie-in to a movie whose future was on shaky ground to begin with and which might not be well-received at all would be suicide. AC is Ubisoft's flagship title. If they tie the games too closely to the movie and the movie becomes a failure, they risk tarnishing the whole brand. OTOH, if the games and movies are kept separate enough and the movie (which has wider reach) fails, the game devs can say "well, those guys were just doing their own thing, we didn't have anything to do with it".

But the Spanish Inquisition rumors have been around forever, and they nailed it down and established the fact that the movie WOULD be made with Fassbender like a year ago, which would most probably be when the 2016 game began serious development. But I agree, they wouldn't be stupid enough to link them together indelibly (as in the game being a prequel/sequel the the Aguilar dude's story or something) but I do think there'll be a large amount of overlap (at least set in the same time period). That way they could throw in a tie-in (a la Connor's cameo in Liberation) to lure game fans into theaters, or scrap the tie-in if the movie didn't make it into the launch window.

In any case, I think it's a hint at what's coming. Expect Europe, 1500.

Consus_E

08-28-2015, 05:11 AM

In any case, I think it's a hint at what's coming. Expect Europe, 1500.

Doesn't have to be Europe... Portugal had established trade contact with Asia in the 16th century.Not that Portugal and Spain are the same country or anything... :D
Now I really want an AC game set in Macau!

LoyalACFan

08-28-2015, 06:05 AM

Doesn't have to be Europe... Portugal had established trade contact with Asia in the 16th century.Not that Portugal and Spain are the same country or anything... :D
Now I really want an AC game set in Macau!

But they could reuse more assets if it was in Europe... :rolleyes:

SixKeys

08-28-2015, 09:28 AM

But the Spanish Inquisition rumors have been around forever, and they nailed it down and established the fact that the movie WOULD be made with Fassbender like a year ago, which would most probably be when the 2016 game began serious development. But I agree, they wouldn't be stupid enough to link them together indelibly (as in the game being a prequel/sequel the the Aguilar dude's story or something) but I do think there'll be a large amount of overlap (at least set in the same time period). That way they could throw in a tie-in (a la Connor's cameo in Liberation) to lure game fans into theaters, or scrap the tie-in if the movie didn't make it into the launch window.

In any case, I think it's a hint at what's coming. Expect Europe, 1500.

Movie-making is an incredibly volatile business. Even if they lock down a release date, sign all the contracts and say yes, this is definitely happening, things still go wrong sometimes. The reason tie-in games are so cheap is because they are by their very nature tied to the movie. If the cast changes halfway through production, they'll have to replace the actors in the game as well. If the script is rewritten, massive chunks of the game may have to be scrapped and quickly replaced. In most cases, the movie is what creates the brand so the game is considered secondary, so it doesn't really matter if it sucks. But in AC's case it's the other way around. It's the games that made the brand, so if they push out a crappy, short, cheap, glitchy game as a by-product of the movie, it would alienate the core fanbase and put the entire franchise at risk.

It's possible that they'll start with tie-ins IF the movie is successful enough to stand on its own, but I don't think they'll take the risk with the first movie.

Sorrosyss

08-28-2015, 11:06 AM

Yeah, I can totally see the benefits of linking them up, but I can't see it honestly. As others have said, movies are difficult to get off the ground with actor availability and such. That plus Ubisoft are struggling to maintain the game's narrative, let alone incorporate the movie storyline as well. If the film were to get delayed, it would screw up the old annual release too. ;) For this, I cannot see it.

I think it's in their interests to keep them seperate too. After all, what if the film is terrible? That'd have a horrid impact on the game sales if it got a reception similar to say, the recent Fantastic Four. They are better off keeping it all seperate - but in the same universe. Ala the novels and comics.

Farlander1991

08-28-2015, 11:47 AM

Nope.

The movie tie-in was too long in development hell for (heck, its original release date was supposed to be 2015 if I'm not mistaken?), and who knows if it will be delayed even more. 2016's AC would already be in the middle of its cycle by now. So chances of them tying in are low (you really don't want the movie to be a tie-in to the game either as it puts same restrictions as when the game is a tie-in to the movie production).

Also, let's not forget the Forgotten Sands. While it wasn't a direct tie-in plot-wise, its return to the Sands universe and release date were to coincide with the movie, and while the game was not bad, it's considered to be the weakest of the Sands games and both projects kinda flopped (which didn't bear well for PoP at all).

So I'm pretty sure the movie and the 2016 game will be kept separate.

LoyalACFan

08-29-2015, 04:45 AM

I feel like I'm maybe not explaining myself properly here... I DON'T think it will be an adaptation of the movie, I just think it will have a thematic link with it similar to the Arno/Shay situation last year. I'm not saying "Spanish Inquisition game confirmed," I just think it's extremely probable that they'll put it in roughly the same time period/location to allow for an Aguilar cameo if the movie actually gets off the ground, but not so vitally connected to it that they couldn't easily slice out Aguilar and replace him with some new NPC side character if the movie gets stalled again. I just think it narrows it down to a pretty likely range of possible settings, most probably Portugal or Northern Europe during the late Renaissance. So if the movie gets released on track, cool, they have the option to throw Aguilar-related stuff in there. If not, they can cut it/modify it for another NPC.

Let me put it this way, I don't think they'll put out a Spanish Inquisition movie and, say, an Ancient Egypt game in the same year. Ubi's all about the tie-in.

After all, what if the film is terrible? That'd have a horrid impact on the game sales if it got a reception similar to say, the recent Fantastic Four. They are better off keeping it all seperate - but in the same universe. Ala the novels and comics.

The movie is scheduled to release next December (at the earliest) so the game will certainly be released by then (because Black Friday). So I definitely think they'll do a little light hyping of the Aguilar dude in the game.

RA503

08-29-2015, 07:48 AM

Maybe the same setting but nothing to do with the characters,if they choose to use original characters in the movie is because they already figure one of the biggest issue in adapting games :

no actor ever is good enough for any game's character.

Abelzorus-Prime

08-29-2015, 11:37 AM

I agree with LoyalACFan and think the games will be linked similar to the way Assassin's Creed Rogue and Unity were linked, Perhaps a character in 2016 video game becomes a side character or cameos in the film. Maybe it's a Piece of Eden that links both of these film or a First Civilization member.

Jessigirl2013

08-29-2015, 11:58 AM

IMO every movie tie in game is s*** ;)

Keep the games and movies separate IMO ;) We still don't know if it will be a flop ;)

Abelzorus-Prime

08-29-2015, 12:39 PM

IMO every movie tie in game is s*** ;)

Keep the games and movies separate IMO ;) We still don't know if it will be a flop ;)

That's usually when the film is the source material and the game is just copying the film, but this is not the case. We already know the movie and game wont be seperate as they are both in the same universe.